Jonny Benjamin – Why This Can Happen had to Happen
Jonny Benjamin
Founder
Beyond
Jonny Benjamin MBE and Neil Laybourn give talks and present on the topic of mental health to groups and organizations all around the UK and internationally.
The pair are award-winning mental health campaigners – their journey together began in 2008 when Neil talked Jonny out of taking his own life by jumping from the edge of Waterloo Bridge in London. Jonny had just been diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression and was extremely unwell.
Neil’s interaction saved his life but the two were soon separated when the police intervened and took Jonny away to be sectioned. 6 years later, in 2014, Jonny launched a campaign on Twitter to find and thank the man who had stopped him taking his own life - #FindMike - it became a global news campaign that reached over 300 million people around the world and was successful in reuniting the 2 strangers within a matter of weeks from the campaign being launched.
What followed was an emotional meeting and the beginning of a journey where both men united to campaign around the issues of both mental health and suicide, which is now the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.
The story of their journey was made into a TV documentary, The Stranger on the Bridge, which aired on Channel 4 in 2015 and had a meaningful impact on millions of viewers.
The documentary has won a number of awards and is currently being aired internationally.
After a private meeting with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge in March 2016, the pair were invited by the Royal Foundation to represent the ‘Heads Together’ charity in running for the 2017 London Marathon.
When one person comes forward by talking openly about their challenges, others do too.
Jonny Benjamin – Why This Can Happen had to Happen
It’s here! The blog you’ve all been waiting for - a Q&A with our inspirational co-founder Jonny Benjamin MBE, whose journey from severe struggles with depression to becoming one of the UK’s leading mental health activists, has hit the headlines and played a game-changing role in the world of corporate wellbeing.
Alongside Neil Laybourn, Jonny has spent almost a decade consulting with companies about how to identify staff members facing mental health struggles and how to help them. Jonny spoke to us about his passion, his work and his driving ambition to make British workplaces altogether healthier and happier places to be.
- What inspired you to devise This Can Happen?
Neil and I have campaigned for years and we’ve noticed lots of good things happening but not in a widely effective way. People seem to be working towards the same objective but not sharing information. The initiatives are often quite isolated and take place in that business alone and nowhere else and we felt it was crucial to bring everyone together and share best practice. Neil’s more daring than I am. He came up with the idea on a train 9 months ago and as soon as I started throwing questions at him, he had compelling answers to every challenge – and so here we are – organising the biggest corporate mental health conference the UK has seen.
- Why do you think corporate organisations have trouble supporting staff with mental health issues?
It’s a question we often reflect on. There’s a lot of fear and lack of education. We didn’t grow up talking about mental health at school or at home and we simply don’t have the language. There are so many misconceptions which create real barriers and even if the will is there people ask ‘where do we start?’ Hopefully TCH will raise awareness and encourage understanding, support and empathy. We’ve seen a big change in the fields of law and insurance, they’re really on the ball, but other industries are falling behind. There’s no perfect formula but this is what we hope the conference will achieve.
- Are there any businesses that are currently exemplary in the way they look after staff with mental health struggles? Can you give examples of how they do this?
Barclay’s launched the This Is Me campaign where staff members shared their stories by video on the staff intranet and it really took off. The videos became the most watched and most shared video content on the intranet. The project had a real impact and helped other businesses come forward. This Is Me has now been adopted by lots of other companies and has paved the way for really positive change. The ripple effect is incredible. When one person comes forward by talking openly about their challenges, others do too. And when one company tackled the issue head on, others followed suit. These are the hardest barriers to break down and Barclays has succeeded. We plan to help others follow in their footsteps.
- Did you always plan to take this route in life or did your own struggles with mental health take you on this journey?
No not at all. I dropped out of uni and then I worked for a production company making TV shows. We made films about mental health and hearing other people’s stories and their struggles helped me to realise that I wasn’t alone and it ignited my passion in the subject. I had enormous difficulty with work due to mental health issues. Much of work is based on performance and I didn’t want anyone to see I was struggling so I didn’t say anything to anyone. My own lived experience of trying to cope day to day made me want to do more to help people solve their problems. So often at the end of a talk someone comes up to us and tells us that they’re battling mental health problems but no one knows about it. It’s sad and frustrating and I really want to help.
- What's next for TCH?
We are definitely going to go global. This is a world-wide problem. Neil and I have done a lot of work in the US and we’re amazed that they are much further behind the UK than you would expect form a culture that likes to talk. It seems they like to talk about everything but their innermost feelings. There’s so much to tackle globally in terms of awareness. Europe is also not great. There’s so much work to do, it’s a mammoth task. We want to do what the LGBT group has done. They have set a brilliant example by forging a path to awareness and tolerance throughout the world. Now you have an insight into the origins of TCH and the inspiration behind it. Register your delegation now to meet Jonny and Neil at TCH is November!
Our proud partners
Allen & Overy
Allen & Overy is a global law firm that helps the world’s leading businesses to grow, innovate and thrive. For almost a century, they have built a reputation for their commitment to think ahead and bring original solutions to their clients’ most complex legal and commercial challenges. Allen & Overy has expertise in banking & finance, M&A, litigation, funds, IP, and related business solutions.
Beyond
Beyond is a mental health charity which was formed in 2018 by award winning campaigner Jonny Benjamin MBE. It was created to address the growing need for mental health support for young people. 75% of mental health issues begin in adolescence and yet, according to the NHS, three-quarters of young people who experience mental illness are not receiving treatment. Beyond has so far given out various grants to organisations across the UK who support vulnerable youngsters. The charity is currently developing a nationwide mental health festival for schools called Now and Beyond which will take place in February 2021.
GlaxoSmithKline
GSK is a fully focused biopharma company. They prioritise innovation in vaccines andspecialty medicines, maximising the increasing opportunities to prevent and treat disease. At the heart of this is their R&D focus on the science of the immune system, human genetics and advanced technologies, and their world-leading capabilities in vaccines and medicines development. GSK is focusing on four therapeutic areas: infectious diseases, HIV, oncology, and immunology.
Haleon
Haleon Plc is a British multinational consumer healthcare company and the largest consumer healthcare business in the world. They are 100% focussed on everyday health with theirleading brands being built on science, innovation and human understanding. Haleion exists to deliver better everyday health with humanity.
Mental Health UK
Bringing together the heritage and 50 years’ experience of four charities across the country, Mental Health UK provides support and services for the biggest societal challenges posing a threat to our mental health - we won’t stop until everyone has the tools they need to live their best possible life.
Weber Shandwick
Weber Shandwick is a global marketing communications company. They work at the intersection of technology, society, policy and media, adding value to culture — to shape and re-shape it. They do it all – from creative concepting to content development and production, creative technology and user experience design. Their team develop and execute ideas that earn attention and drive business impact.
